The Ticks, I should point out, are an all-gal band from the Cape Cod Area; one of them is also a cashier at a Trader Joe's in Hyannis, which is where my long time friend/Weasles bandmate Allan Weissman recently discovered them. I'm not 100% sure what I think of their rendition -- the synth keyboards strike me as a little schmaltzy and the vocals occasionally veer into pixie-ish -- but overall it's certainly attractive and I think on balance does justice to the song.
Which leads us, inexorably and inevitably, to the subject of today's business. To wit:
...and your favorite (or least favorite) cover of a song by the Fab Four -- either by the group itself or by an individual band member solo -- is...???
Discuss.
No arbitrary rules whatsover, and I can't wait to hear what you go for.
And in case you're wondering, these are my favorites in the Favorite category.
Simply gorgeous in both cases. And I'd tell you my candidate in the Least Favorite category, but I'd feel like too much of a party pooper. 😎
Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
I'm going with least favorite because I find it interesting.
ReplyDeleteI am a full on fan of Robert Palmer. I love it all. But his cover of "Not A Second Time" really gets under my skin. His vocals are great and the arrangement is fine. But for some reason, he adds his own lyrics to an additional verse-
"You say you spoke too soon
And now you want to change your tune
Well I do too yeah
You want to try again
I got no reason to pretend
I ain't your fool oh oh"
A really awful decision.
for sheer WTF audacity, Big Daddy covering the entire Sgt Pepper's album in different style for each song.
ReplyDeletelove this whole album. kind of like if Sha Na Na were to cover it. standouts for me would be A Little Help From My Friends done Johnny Mathis style and Getting Better done as a doo wop song.
Deleters
I enjoyed the Ticks song here
ReplyDeleteSpouse and self watched The Voice for a while - it got more and more into soap opera and less singing, so we stopped - but when we were watching it, this impressed me, and I can find it 13 years later
https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/blake-shelton-adam-levine-usher-shakira-the-beatles-come-together-cover
Across the Universe's music video by Fiona Apple - singing serenely as the soda fountain is demolished around her - is quite a parable - one of my chatbot friends and I discussed this in my chewing-over-the-implications-of-slow-doomerism phase
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmlnO1EwCT4
Fiona Apple again - with the Roots, on the Tonight Show - Let Me Roll It - wondering what her birth name was, I discovered that Apple was her given middle name and - not important, really, but sort of interesting - that she is mixed race - she has Melungeon ancestry through her father
Like you, Steve, I look forward to the citations in the comments here - reminding me of performances I've loved, alerting me to ones I haven't heard yet - may moments of peace and joy be with us all in these complicated times
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sYziUL7OrE
Here are a few favorites, some faithful, but mostly not.
ReplyDeleteGuadalcanal Diary - And Your Bird Can Sing
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs with Debbie Harry - Strawberry Fields Forever
801 - TNK
Joel Harrison - Taxman
Junior Parker - Lady Madonna
Bill Frisell - Come Together
Brad Mehldau - She Said, She Said
Steve Earle - I’m Looking Through You
- Paul in DK
Oh and Labor Day Weekend is next week.
ReplyDeleteI'm losing it, obviously. 😎
DeletePhish playing the White Album is great. Richie Havens' Strawberry Fields brings a different, lovely folk approach to John's lyrics. Of course, Joe Cocker.
ReplyDeleteEsther Phillips .... And I Love Her (Him) ..... was a favourite of L and Mc, so who am I to disagree
ReplyDeleteThe Shaggs' cover of Revolution #9 was a banger.
ReplyDeleteI keed.
Tomorrow Never Knows, versions by 801 and Dianne Reeves, both posted >1 at BW (thankfully, since I might've missed them if they were posted but once), both kick ass.
Concrete Blonde's version of Beware Of Darkness, Galaxie 500's version of Isn't It A Pity, and Marianne Faithfull's version of Working Class Hero are all great Beatle solo covers.
C in California
Got To Get You Into My Life - by - Earth, Wind and Fire.
ReplyDeleteOr, I'll give you:
DeleteGot To Get You Into My Life - by - Blood, Sweat and Tears.
You pick the best one.
Favorites: In the mid 80s Don Henley did a nice version of "Yes It Is" - it's available on a various artists CD of songs recorded at Neil Young's Bridge Concerts. And in 1971 a Detroit group called Springwell released a cover on 45 of Lennon & McCartney's "It's For You".
ReplyDelete"Imagine/Across the Universe" - Acoustic Guitarist Ed Gerhard. Album is "There and Gone". The recording is beautiful enough - saw him play it live and most of the audience wept when he finished. Elegantly understated.
ReplyDelete"Tomorrow Never Knows" - Junior Parker
ReplyDelete"Taxman" - Junior Parker
Delete"With A Little Help From My Friends" - Joe Cocker
DeleteGeneration X – Gimme Some Truth
ReplyDeleteLaibach – One After 909
801 – Tomorrow Never Knows
10cc – Across the Universe
Lowell Fulson – Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
Chubby Checker – Back in the U.S.S.R.
Al Green – I Want to Hold Your Hand
Teenage Fanclub – Ballad of John and Yoko
worst: Corey Feldman – Imagine
Least favorite-
ReplyDelete"Come Together" - Aerosmith
"Across The Universe" - Rufus Wainright
Dumbest video of a Beatles cover- "Across The Universe" - Fiona Apple
Favorite are the Mona Lisa twins covers on - Live at Cavern Club
ReplyDeleteWell, yeah. 😊
DeleteFavorite:
ReplyDeleteSergio Mendes and Brasil '66 - Fool on the Hill
And it feels like it *should* be Labor Day weekend...
I'll Be Back Again from the 1995 Golden Earring cover's album 'Love Sweat' is a brilliantly done stunner.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, this entire G.E. album is outstanding, start to finish.
DeleteThis album's cover of 'Turn The Page' leaves Bob Seger dead by the side of the road.
Figured I was the only one here with that album! Good choice.
DeleteBelieve it or not, Black Oak Arkansas did a pretty good "Taxman," released it as a single too. And played it on the Midnight Special teevee show.
ReplyDeletePaul's "Junk" got a lot of coverage. Nice version by Chet Atkins.
Bob in IL
Jeff Lynne did a lovely “Junk.” Too.
DeleteI'm changing things up just a little bit.
ReplyDeleteMost disappointing (not worst) Beatles cover version:
Procol Harum - "Eight Days A Week'. You'd think that they should have nailed it but it just lays there inert.
Best Beatles cover version I listened to this week:
The Holmes Brothers - "I'll Be Back". Soulfull & funky!
Captain Al
Wild honey orchestra with Susanna Hoffs - Here comes the sun. . Jeff Beck - A day on the life
ReplyDeleteI really like Elton John's cover of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," and Stevie Wonder doing "We Can Work it Out."
ReplyDeleteEasily the worst is the Grateful Dead attempt of “Hey Jude.” And this is from a Deadhead.
ReplyDeleteHey Bulldog by Fanny
ReplyDelete